Top police officers of six Naxal-hit states hold meeting

Top police officers of six Naxal affected states -- Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odissa, Jharkhand and Kerala -- met in Kochi on Saturday to consider the threat posed by explosives to security personnel and to suggest amending of the Explosives Act.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kerala Director General Jacob Punnose said that the Union government had already decided to amend the existing laws to check the misuse of explosives.

The DGP refused to state the outcome or the recommendations of the meeting, saying they were "confidential".

Punnose said that the use of explosives was rampant in Kerala.

Police officials, who are members of a working group constituted by the Centre to look into changes to be brought into the Explosives Act, participated in the meeting.

The DGP denied reports that investigation into the murder of Marxist rebel leader T P Chandrasekharan had been scrapped, saying the probe is still on.

On media reports of phone tapping of senior police officers probing the case, the DGP said no phones of police personnel were tapped.

Asked about the rampant misuse of SIM cards in Kerala, he said this was another threat the state is facing.

"Private and PSU mobile phone providers sell SIM cards indiscriminately. The police, as of now, have no role in controlling this. Recommendations have been sent to the government requesting to give sanction to the police to take steps to control the menace," he said.